The Dark Future
by Fangs D. Snakeman
Summary: Rewritten; Six new Toa must confront Teridax and his Shadow Empire in the ultimate battle for freedom. Rate T for swearing, fighting, and some gore.
1. Prologue

Whew! I finally fixed this thing. I found a lot of errors and typos on the chapters and finally rewritten them.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bionicle or any of its characters. Just this story and my Ocs are all I own.**

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"_Gathered Friends," Turaga Vakama narrated. " Listen again to another glorious tale of the Bionicle. In a time before time, the mighty Toa had ventured forth and rescued the matoran of the universe core and defeated the Makuta that invaded and corrupted them._

_After repairing the damage and curing the matoran that were turned, they returned to the surface and participated in the destruction of the last remaining Brotherhood forces. After a long battle, suffering many losses and tragedies, they had finally conquered the darkness. The universe was free and the Toa were at peace. Eventually, some of the Toa had found romance with others._

_The Toas of Fire and Water found love with each other (TahuGali, JallerHahli), the Toa of Light had found his other halve with the organization leader. They others found loved ones as well. And throughout the world, everyone was happy. And why shouldn't they be. Mata Nui was reawakened, the masters of shadows and evil were defeated, and our champions were victorious._

_When the Great Spirit had learned of the damages that Teridax and his Makuta have done, he saw to it that no such attempts of takeover would ever happen again. And so the Mata Nui ejected us out from his body and onto the planet that we had been on since the Great Cataclysm. He then thrusted his body into the stars beyond, preventing any further attempt to take control over the universe. Under our guidance, Mata Nui had learned to become a true leader to the Matoran and other beings throughout our land._

_But such wondrous times were not to be._

_For some of the Makuta, especially are most hated, Teridax, had survived. They had seeked revenge on the Toa for disrupting the plans to take control. Teridax eventually had then taken control of the Dark Hunters after mercilessly killing The Shadowed One. He then destroyed the Order of Mata Nui, leaving only Helryx and Takanuva to survive. They soon set their sights on my beloved home and destroyed it, killing many of the inhabitnants along with our protectors. _

_And now, the search is coming to close and the end is near. Our only hope is in the hands…of the children. A new generation of heroes."_

Bionicle: The Dark Future

Prologue: The Darkness Arising

_The attack on the stronghold with the remaining surviving Toa was a complete, but predicted, surprise. They knew they couldn't stay in hiding for long; it was only a matter time before they were discovered. In the pod bay were the leading members of the rebellion. They were Takanuva, Helryx, Toa Ignika, Hahli, Jaller, Tahu, Kopaka, Iruni, and Nuparu. And right now they are about to do the most difficult decision of their lives._

_Sending their infant children with the Toa Ignika to the far reaches of the forbidden realm, Zeirlyx. An area no Makuta would venture off to willingly. _

"_We have no choice," Tahu reasoned with them, looking down at his two-year-old son, Tola. "If they are to survive this onslaught then we have to send them away. Far away." He added softly, mostly to himself._

"_We know that," Kopaka retorted before looking sullenly at his own son, Kylus. "It's just hard to let go. Especially when our children is about to be sent away to someplace far away."_

"_We've got no other choice." Iruni said, looking at his daughter, wishing to hold her one last time before saying good-bye, forever._

_The room shook violently as the attacks intensified. They were coming closer and it was only a matter of time before they reached the only safe area within the destroyed Toa Academy. _

"_They are nearly here." Jaller said as he and his wife Hahli looked down at their son sadness, tears forming in their eyes. With one final good-bye they placed their children in Toa canisters._

"_Please," Takanuva said as he held Helryx close to him, looking at the Toa of Life. "Take care of them. They are only hope if anything happens to them…it could mean the end of everything."_

"_Don't worry…I will." Ingnee (his name) Vowed as he entered a pod as well. Along side him laid the six infants of his friends: Tola of Tahu and Gali, Mizu of Jaller and Hahli, Shayla of Takanuva and Helryx, Kylus of Kopaka, Nova of Iruni, and Solem of Nuparu. With one final look, they were catapulted far beyond the sea._

_The base shook very violently as the door burst open and charged in a Dark Hunters, pointing their weapons at them. The Toa stood still before Takanuva activated his mask and unleashed a blinding light at their foes. The Hunters covered their faces and in doing so, the Toa drew their weapons and took them out before proceeding into the collapsing halls, as fires burned furiously and rubble was all around. Eventually, after defeating a few enemies, they made it outside to see the horror that befell them. Rahkshi using their staff power to eliminate the troops that stood in their way, Visorak stunning and encasing their victim and Hunters killing any stragglers that tried to flee. _

_The Toa were unprepared for this, but they knew the time to take action was now. And so, with a battle cry, the last of the Toa plunged themselves into the battlefield, using the last of their strength to fend off the forces, hoping that their children, the salvation for the future, were in kept safe and that someday, they would battle the shadows and prevail._

_Somewhere out in sea, seven Toa canisters drifted across the dark waters that would guide them to a safe location for them. Off in the distance, the fires and smoke were visible, indicating that the fall of the last stronghold against the Brotherhood had fallen._

_Up in the dark, smoky clouds above a single black and red figure hovered, incased and concealed within the shadows. He looked down and saw six Toa capsules drifting through the sea. He reached a hand and caused the capsules to implode, instantly killing any beings that hoped for a quick escaped. The being laughed triumphantly and revealed himself to be the one to cause all this destruction: Makuta Teridax. _

_What the Makuta did not realize, however, was that the ones he destroyed were in fact decoys while the real ones containing the baby Toa and the Toa Ignika had activated a camouflage system that both made them invisible and undetectable._

_And so, while the stronghold burned to the ground, the younglings and the Mask of Life safely drifted through the sea, their destination unclear, but their destiny was clear. One day, they will return and retake their homeland, and Teridax will be defeated, once and for all._

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**Okay I just made a little fix up here cause I checked the prologue over, thinking I missed something and saw that I forgot to include Mata Nui ejecting the islands and the beings within him out onto the Endless Ocean planet before sending it out into space. And another thing, only the prologue and chapter one were rewritten, which means the next few chapters will be different. Okay, just wanted to let you guys know. Read and Review.**


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Bionicle.

_**Thoughts**_

"**Dialogue"**

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Bionicle: The Dark Future

**Chapter One**

_1400 years after the destruction of the rebel fortress_

A lot of time has passed since the rebels' base destruction and all rebels were executed or forced into slavery. And since that time the children of the last Toa with the Toa Ignika had taken refuge in an island big enough for them to occupy with plenty of resources. The isle of Zeirlia, a long forgotten land built by Mata Nui in a realm called Zeirlia. This island itself was half the size of Metru Nui. The trees were tropical and swayed in the direction that the wind blew it. The water that surrounded the island sparkled from the light of the sun and was so clear that you could see the bottom of the ocean. The landscape itself was mostly jungle and forest with tons of fruits and other vegetation. The few rahi that thrived on the island were very gentle, but have proven to be fierce when threatened. This place is perfect for a vacation, to get away from all the troubles in the world, _or_ to hide perhaps the last resistance to the new Shadow Empire.

Speaking of which, a yellow Toa figure with green arms and legs and wearing a green powerless mask ran with all her might as she tried to evade the beast that was chasing her. Said creature, resembling a feline, was running on all fours, its teeth were white and sharp and its claws looked so sharp that it could probably cut through protosteel. The she-warrior jumped over a tree root before tripping on a tree vine and collapsing face first into a pile of mud. When she looked up and turned around, the rahi was right in front of her, growling, with its mouth agape and its yellow orbs fixed entirely on her. It then let out a growl before it…panted? It suddenly licked her face repeatedly while she merely giggled and tried to squirm away.

"Hah-hah-hah! Hey, stop it! Cut it out! Hah-hah-hah!!" she laughed as the feline merely licked faster. "Down boy! Heel! Heel!" She managed to push its face away before standing up and dusting herself from all the mud covering her body. "Honestly, one of these days you might lick my whole face off, Raja." She patted his head as Raja purred and nuzzled into her hand. She then started walking away before turning back to call him. "Come on Raja, we better head back to camp and check on the others." The feline grunted as he walked next to her, both journeying back to their campsite.

After about an hour and a half, they finally made it back to their campsite. At the campsite there stood seven huts, six of which occupied the rest of their family. The huts' bodies were made of stone while the roof was made of straw tied together by rope. They were planted in a circle, surrounding a campfire with the outer layer made by a circle of rocks and a pile of short burned logs laid within the circle.

In front of his hut sat cross-legged the Toa Ignika. He was currently meditating, a technique he learned during his training with his Toa brethren before the attack on the fortress. Upon hearing someone enter the campsite, he opened his eyes to see the daughter of his comrades Takanuva and Helryx, Shayla approach the area with her mechanical feline pet that she adopted when Raja was a cub. He slowly stood and called the others. "Nova's back, everyone!" He shouted to the other huts as the other five members made their out to welcome back their sister. Out of the huts came a group Toa of Fire, Water, Iron, Lightning, and Sonics. Their names were Tola, Mizu, Solem, Kylus and Shayla.

Tola had a blue body with red arms and legs and wore a red powerless mask. He is considered the hothead and leader, in his mind at least, of the group. Mizu was the opposite coloration as him with a red body and blue arms and legs. He is sort of shy and tends to be the quiet one as well as the last one to give a debate. Solem was black body and steel gray arms and legs. He's slightly bigger than the others and his strength is amazing. Kylus was white body and his arms and legs were light gray. He considers himself the smart one and tends to butt heads with Tola due to their brains vs. brawn arguments. And Shayla was blue body with white arms and legs. Shayla is the real leader of the group and is the one who ends arguments, usually Tola and Kylus', and finds a medium everyone can agree on.

"Hey Nova, glad you're back." Solem gave his sister a hug. He let go when he felt something rubbing against his leg. "And you too Raja." He bent down to rub the large cat's head and neck while Raja purred at the affection he was receiving.

Nova is the wild and adventurous of the group as well as the comic relief since she tends to say things that make anyone laugh and also the one who tends to get into trouble.

"So did you bring the supplies we asked you to get?" Tola questioned her. He had to step back as Raja growled at him for showing disrespect to his master before Nova petted him.

"Easy Raja." She then looked up at her 'leader'. "Yeah, I brought back the stuff we need for the food. Come on, can't you trust me with handling to get food? This is _me_ we're talking about."

"Yeah, that's what worries us." Tola said back, smiling as she glared him. "What? You know it's true. Who else could get into serious trouble?" He then pointed behind to Shayla. "I mean other than Shayla here?"

"Hey!" Shayla shouted. Both females' face turned red from the anger and began to approach the red and blue Toa, their goal: throttling him until he learned some respect.

"Cut it out you guys." Kylus put himself between them before they started another brawl. He then looked at Nova. "Now, may I have the materials so I can prepare the stuff?"

"Sure." She took the brown bag she had on her back and gave it him before turning Shayla. "Hey Shayla, you been pretty quiet all of a sudden. Something wrong?" Nova asked concernedly. When Shayla didn't show any indication of hearing her, she waved her hand in front of her face.

"Heellooo, is anyone there?" That did the trick as Shalya shook her head and looked at her sister wearingly, almost as if she did various chores and didn't get enough sleep after doing chores.

"Huh? You say something, Nova?" she asked.

Nova's hardened into seriousness, something that rarely occurs. "Alright, spill it. What's wrong?" Shayla merely laughed.

"Nothing you need to worry about." She said. Nova still looked unconvinced. "Really. It's nothing."

The Toa Ignika chuckled as the group of teens conversed with each other. He then looked at the ground in sadness. He remembered all the conversations and arguments he shared with his brothers. He closed his eyes. _Should I have really left them?_ he thought. _Yes, I had to leave. Otherwise these children would have died and then Teridax would have truly won._ "Ignee." He looked up and saw all the teens looking at him, worried. _I should really do this more privately,_ he though one last time.

"Do not worry about me. I am fine…just thinking, that's all." The Toa of Life reassured, hoping to disarm them of their concern. After all, though he may not truly be a Toa, he could sense that the time for their destinies to be revealed would be coming soon, _very _soon.

Later that night, the seven Toa sat on wooden logs around the fire, enjoying their meal. Shayla had brought fruits from the trees that were closet to the shores, some crabs that apparently didn't go down willing as she had a few pincer marks on her fingers and some Mihiki-Rabbit Raja had hunted. Once they finished, they each moved to a more comfortable spot slightly away from the fire. Shayla, Nova, and Mizu were still sitting on the logs. Tola didn't mind the heat sat on the ground in front of the logs with Solem joining him. Kylus was laying on the ground away from the others as he found the cool air more relaxing than the fire.

At the moment, the six teens were telling different stories they made up. It first began when they were six/seven years old (six/seven hundred years actually) and Ignee was trying to put them to sleep, but they wouldn't allow sleep to overcome them when they still felt like playing. In desperation, Ignee got their attention by telling them that: "if you don't go to sleep now, I won't tell you the story I planned on telling you". The bait worked and soon the little ones were prepared to sleep when Ignee told them the legend of Mata Nui and Makuta Teridax. That tale was soon forgotten as eventually they began making their own stories to tell.

At the moment it was Solem telling a story about powerful rock warriors, called the Rocktans that could make the entire planet tremble whenever they stepped on the ground because of their powerful control over the land. "These guys were made entirely of stone and could move even the mountains themselves to whatever they liked. No one messed with these guys, everyone would tremble in fear just at the mere sight of them and many worshipped them as deities of great power. It would be a bad idea to one of these angry, they beat to a pulp, could kill ya, and if possible, re-kill ya."

"Pffft, Yeah right," Tola scoffed. "They're not nearly as tough as the Vulcanics. Those guys will turn your pebble-brained pile of rocks into soot and ashes." Tola mocked him, clearly not at all impressed as he saw fire as more powerful than a bunch of rocks.

"Both of your mediocre imaginations are completely pathetic. Honestly, controlling fire and earth. How ridiculous could the two of you get?" Solem and Tola looked at Nova in disbelief. "Your stones and fires are no match for Electronites. They could turn both your dudes into noting but sizzling, fried pebbles and vaporized ash." The boys hung their mouths in disbelief at their sister before they glared at her with denial. All three of them then began arguing with each other about whose warriors were better.

"Hey Ignee," the Ignika looked toward Shayla. "Why don't you tell us a story?" the girl asked.

He paused for a moment. "I don't know what story to tell you." A total lie if he said before. Back then he would've told millions about his adventures and even bragged about it before his brothers told them the real truth about some parts he exaggerated.

"It could be anything you want to tell us; doesn't have to be imaginary likes those three." Shayla said, pointing to the still bickering siblings with their fists raise threateningly. He thought for a moment before he though of the perfect tale to tell, the one far better than the story of Mata Nui and the Makuta. A tale he didn't think he would speak about since the tragedy of losing his friends.

"Alright," Ignee said. "I think I know what story I can tell you. I'll tell you the tale about real masters of the elements and other powers that one can only dream of." His eyes scanned the group of young teens to see if they were paying attention to his what he was saying. Their attention, even Kylus, were all his. "It's time you all learned about the Toa."

"The Toa?" Kylus asked questionably with a raised brow.

"Yes, the Toa. These beings were known as heroes during ages of fear and darkness, of doubt and despair. They were the guardians that specialized in both weapons and powers that came from special equipment, but mostly from within themselves. They were also some of the few beings in the world that held strong faith and belief in the Three Virtues."

"The Three Virtues? What's that?" Solem asked.

"Yeas, and what powers did these Toa possess?" Mizu added.

"The virtues were what the Toa stood for: Unity, Duty, and Destiny. These virtues were the pinnacle of everything people back then worshipped. United, they could accomplish their duties that would then help them find their destinies. As for the powers, I mentioned that the Toa possessed the very powers of the elements: Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Stone, and Ice were the most common among them. Toa of Sonics, Plasma, Lightning, Iron, Gravity, and Magnetism were the least common, but were known to have been slightly more powerful than the others. Alone a Toa was powerful, but together, as a team they were near unstoppable. Enemies cowered before their combined might. Most of them fell in defeat, but they could have slain Toa, but otherwise none could stand up to them. The Toa were legendary." The teens saw Ignee's face look from proud and admirable to sad and far away. "Now, they are nothing but legends."

"What do mean 'they are nothing but legends'?" Tola asked. "You're making it sound like they were real." Ignee just looked at him. Tola's eyes widened. "They were real?"

Ignee nodded. "They were, but now the Toa are all extinct." This caused the six-person audience to gasp in shock.

"Extinct? How could they be extinct?" Nova asked confused.

"Yeah, you made it sound like they were invincible." Solem said, also not understanding how beings like them, beings with the powers of nature, could be taken down, let alone destroyed.

Ignee sighed and rubbed his forehead slightly in irritation. "That's what you kids need to understand. No matter how powerful anyone or anything may be, there is always a weakness to them. After all, no one is really invincible." He told them, hoping that maybe they would be a little more realistic about their characters next time they tried to tell a story.

"Can you at least tell us how they became extinct?" Kylus asked. Normally he wouldn't be interested with the stories any talked about 'cause they usually weren't very realistic and just plain silly. Ignee's on the other hand were often the ones that got his attention.

"The Toa were slaughtered and killed by many beings over the years. In their prime there was over 3,000 of them, but evil organizations and parties nearly put an end to them. Some Toa were killed, others defected their duties and beliefs for their own personal gain. But the main beings responsible for this were the Makuta."

"Makuta?" Mizu asked. Ignee nodded.

"Makuta were among the first beings before the Toa. They, too, could control the elements like the Toa and possessed other abilities far greater than theirs. They were once the protectors our world and the creators of many of the Rahi, such as Raja here." Raja tilted his head and gave a confused 'urr?' sound. "After an attempt to usurp Mata Nui, the Great Spirit, from six warlords, the Makuta became recognized as protectors, handling the more dangerous threats that Toa couldn't handle. Then, they started acting… strange."

"Strange?" Shayla asked.

"The Makuta, after the defeat of the warlords, began having their own plans of usurpation. Another, more evil Makuta, Teridax, usurped their leader, Miserix and began conspiring to make the world theirs. They had killed and destroyed everything, but also kept their activities secret, with barely few to be left alive to tell anyone of what they discovered of their 'protectors.' Even the Toa fell to their powers, whether by seduction of the shadows or by execution. It would seem that no one would be able to stand to their might." Ignee then smiled at the thought of those that opposed and also defeated Makuta, the ones he knew were in fact his brothers as well as several others he learned of. "But in all the history of such encounters, only few special groups of have Toa managed to thwart the Makuta's corruption. They fought, defeated and even killed some of the Makutas' numbers."

"Who were they?" Solem questioned.

"There were many groups that fought against the Makuta, but all of them had two things in common: To stop their evil and to fulfill their duties to the Great Spirit and his people. These Toa had battled the Makuta and other threats as well, such as rahi, mercenaries, assassins, megalomaniacs, rulers, and foes with great power." At this point Ignee was now acting as though he was telling the story to a couple of younglings and practically jumping. "They journeyed from different islands to the darkest depths of the ocean and near the center of the world itself. They were vigilant and they knew that no matter what trials they had face they overcame it because they knew that if they were save their home, and all those who lived on it, they knew they had to take action. The Toa were by far the greatest heroes of all. Some of them went bad and turned to darkness, but in the end, they were heroes that many looked upon for inspiration." Ignee was standing on his feet and looking ready for battle before he noticed the looks on the teens and sat back down.

The group fell silent as they processed what their caretaker had just told them. The Toa were the greatest heroes that had ever lived. And now they're nothing but the stuff of legend. So many of them fought and died and risked their lives for others without giving a care about whatever happened to them. It was unimaginable, to see once great heroes' legends to fall to nothing but a pile of dirt in the sands of time. And these Makuta were responsible for that downfall, this Teridax especially.

An idea suddenly popped up into Tola's head. _Why don't we be Toa? We could heroes, be respected everywhere, and we'll finally get out of this dump. _His impulsiveness thought. 'But then the Makuta would be after you and all of your friends if they learn you are Toa.' His more reasonable side said. Well even if they were hunted down at least they would be off this rock. Sure the place looked nice and all, but it just wasn't adventurous enough. He wanted some action and spoke the first that came to mind. "Let's become Toa!" he shouted and everyone just stared at like he had three heads before Ignee replied.

"No."

"No," Tola blinked. "What do you mean 'no'? We could be great Toa. We could just find some masks and learn how to control elements–" he tried to reason.

"You could be, but that doesn't mean you are. Sure, having mask powers and elemental powers are important, but that's not all a Toa is. The true meaning of a Toa is that you are willing to risk your life to protect the lives others, no matter the cost. Toa were called Toa not just because they looked like Toa. They had to gain the right to be titled Toa." The others looked confused. Ignee sighed. "The name 'Toa' is as much a title as well as a name of a certain species. Toa had to do something that others would recognize as being a heroic and be granted the title. The title, however, could also be taken away if they do something that seems more satisfying to them than others and are resented for it. An action like that would make them lose the title of Toa."

"You seem to a lot about these Toa, Ignee." Tola inquired suspiciously, an eyebrow raised. Then a thought came to mind. "You wouldn't happen to be a Toa, would you?" Ignee merely stared back at him. Tola could've sworn he saw pain and regret flashing through Ignee's eyes, before the elder shook his head.

"No. I am not a Toa, and neither are the rest of you." He looked at the rest of them. "Besides, no one would even dream to be a Toa. Not anymore." And with that said he left to enter his tent and sleep, hoping to avoid any other talk about his shame. It was hard enough to leave the only friends he ever had behind, but to tell youngling teens about something that he once used to be proud of. He lifted his blanket and rolled to his side away from the door, so that if the kids would peep in, they would think that he was sleeping.

Back outside the group stared at where Ignee had left to his tent. They knew that this… story about the Toa must've rekindled some forgotten memories. And they began to ponder on some things. This was perhaps the first time they actually heard anything close to their father figure's past. Obviously he was hiding something, but the question is… what? What could Ignee possibly hide from them? He told them almost everything and he swore not to keep secrets from them.

After a while, they all began to feel drowsy as well. They soon got up and headed to their makeshift huts. The others bade their own goodnights to each other before going drifting into slumber… some of them anyway.

Sleep was not coming soon to Shayla so she exited her tent and began walking to the ocean, heading to her sacred spot of serenity on the shore. She did not go alone as Mizu, hearing her departure, decided to follow her. He didn't go long before he found the beach. The water was shaded a dark blue that made it blend into the night and the crescent moon's light was reflected off the water, leaving a ray of white to make the ocean look more beautiful and breath-taking. Walking along the shore, Mizu searched for Shayla before he found staring at the ocean looking calm as though her troubles had drifted away with the waves while looking a little stressed with something that Mizu was attempting to find out.

He slowly approached Shayla so that she could have as much peace as she could, especially after the awkward moment back at camp. He watched her close her eyes and let a sigh. It was at that moment that he noticed, I mean actually noticed, how beautiful she looked right now. The moonlight that shone on her made her looked like an angel and he saw that her body was slender and curvy, giving her graceful proportions. And her eyes twinkled and shined like the stars in the night and her orbs were shining like the stars and they…were looking straight back at him!!! He just now realized that he had stopped walking to her and started to stare at her and apparently she just found out as she stared back at him.

Mizu shook his head._ I really got to learn to stop paying so much attention; it gets me into a lot of trouble. And come one, she's my sister. What am I doing thinking thoughts like that?_ He thought. He closed his eyes and braced himself for whatever punishment or scolding he was about to receive from her. He opened his eyes and saw that she was looking at him curiously and showed no sign of hostility whatsoever. He swallowed his nervousness and spoke first to disarm the awkwardness.

"Um…uh, I heard you leave the campsite and decided to follow you…to…uh…make sure that you were all right." He said to her. He saw that she looked nervous as well and immediately became concerned. "Is something wrong, Shay?"

She looked at him before she looked down and sighed. "Call me crazy but I had a really weird dream last night; some voice telling me that we had to fight Teridax and save our people and fulfilling our destiny, whatever it is. It's been bugging all day, and Ignee's story about the Toa just magnified it." She sighed again, her eyes downcast and confused. "I just don't know. It's really confusing."

He looked at his big sister with sympathy. For most of her life Shayla had been having strange dreams and they always left her confused. As far as he knew, he was the only one who knows about this since she usually kept these dreams to herself. "Can you tell me what you saw?" She looked at him for a moment before sighing.

"Okay."

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Shayla was standing in a dark area shrouded in mist. She looked around confused as she started walking forward, or at least what she thought was forward as everywhere looked the same.

What is this place? Where am I?_ She thought as she stopped and decided to sit down. She jumped as she heard a strange and mysterious voice speak out._

"_Shayla…" It called to her. "You and your friends must return to your homeland, free your people and defeat Teridax."_

"_What are you talking about? What homeland? And what do you mean 'defeat Teridax?'" Shayla called back. She then realized something. "Wait a minute, how do you know my name?"_

"_I have watched you grow from my confinement since the day you were brought forth into the world. I was very good friends of your parents." The voice replied.  
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_Shayla was shocked. This voice knew her parents? She felt a tear cascade down her cheek. Ignee is a great person she could count on, he was the closest thing to a father she, and the others, had, but more than anything else, she wanted to know her real parents, just like the others. "You know my parents? Can you tell me where they are?"_

"_I'm afraid your parents are deep within the bowels of darkness as we speak. One is detained within its power, and the other has become corrupted by hatred and revenge."_

"_So they're alive?" Shayla asked hopefully._

"_Yes, but that right now is not important. What is important is that you must journey to back to your homeland and defeat the darkness that has conquered and corrupted it. Do not fail Toa, for if you do, the end will be upon us all and the Shadows shall reign, forever."_

"_I still don't understand what you're talking about." She then started to look around to locate the voice that was calling her. "Where are you? Show yourself!" She got her answer as a bright glowing orb appeared in front of her. She looked at it curiously before it glowed brighter and forced her to close her eyes and cover her face. The orb then illuminated the entire area from the total blackness and mist to a near blinding white. When she opened her eyes, she saw the orb morph into a glowing gold mask with six slits, three on each cheek, in front her. She looked at it with awe, as she never saw a mask so beautifully crafted and for some reason, she wasn't scared anymore. The mask had brought some sort of comforting aura around it that made her feel safe. _

"_Who are you?" she asked, still transfixed by its presence._

"_Who I am is irrelevant at this point. You must face the power of the Shadows and win back the freedom of your people who still continue to hope for a better day." The mask spoke, though the mouth didn't move, if it had one that is._

"_Even if my friends and I face these Shadows or whatever, how can we do this? How can we stop it when others who tried failed? And besides, I'm still just a kid. What _can_ I do?"_

"_You are a Toa young one. Do not doubt your abilities. It is in your blood to fight against evil and to bring peace and justice. You must continue the legacy that your kind has started for over many millennia ago." The mask started to float away from her. "The time has come for the darkness to be driven back and for the light to take hold once more."_

"_Hey, wait!" Shayla started to run after the mask, but no matter how fast she ran the mask still seemed to get farther and farther away. "There still some things I don't understand!" She tried to run even faster, but the mask seemed to move faster away. "Come back!"_

"_Never give up Toa. Remember you have the power of those dear to your heart to give you the strength to fight. I sense that you will meet allies long hidden who will teach you and guide you on the right path. And always remember the Three Virtues: Unity, Duty, and Destiny. They are the key elements to fulfilling your destiny and saving your people."_

_It was then that Shayla awoke from her bed, panting and sweating and her mind filled with many questions._

* * *

"And that's the end of it." She finished telling Mizu about what her vision was. Mizu merely stood there, unsure of what to make of the situation.

"I have to say, I am pretty freaked about this." His words did little to help her. "I mean… this is something way out of our understanding." He said.

Shayla sighed. "There is still so much I want to know. Where my parents are, stopping Teridax; I mean, how are we going to do all this?"

"And the fact that Ignee said we weren't Toa doesn't help either." Mizu rubbed his chin. "This voice claimed that you're a Toa, but didn't Ignee said none of us were even considered Toa?"

"I think there's a lot of stuff that Ignee's been keeping from us." She then yawned as drowsiness soon crept into her body. "But let's find out after we get some sleep." Mizu response was a yawn that declared his agreement. They both soon walked back to camp as quietly as possible before getting into their huts, under their blankets and dozed off to dreamland.

* * *

Far away, on an island, once hailed as the City of Legends, is now the base for the greatest evil in the world, Teridax. The sky no longer shined with light but was now blocked by dark clouds that covered the island like smog. The once majestic buildings of the city were now decorated with spikes that commonly found on Makuta architecture. Spires and pillars of similar features were also created along side the buildings. The streets that were once filled with dozens of people were now barren as many of the population were working rather than socializing. Many of Teridax's forces could be seen marching through the city, making sure that everyone was working and to instill punishment and fear for those who aren't.

Inside the fortress, once known as the Coliseum, where many of the people came to enjoy great events, a hooded figure wearing a black cloak was walking down the corridors to his master's throne to tell him of the news he had just received. Along the way he saw several Matoran, Skakdi and other species from many lands, all looking battered, beaten, restless, and weak, working along the mines out the window. Some of them were whipped and ordered to go faster by guards and officers overlooking them. He turned his attention to some see three Dark Hunters laughing their heads off about how they forced several of the slaves to doing some of their chores. He rolled his eyes. Many of the other officers that served Teridax were vain and arrogant and used their position to practically get whatever they want. This proved to be one of the most annoying things that he dealt with when working.

The hunters, still babbling, then bumped into him.

"Hey, watch it." The hooded figure paid no mind and simply continued walking. "Hey," the sickly green Skakdi called out. "You better say you're sorry unless you want to die." he said, as he rested his hand on the handle of the axe that hung at his side.

The hooded being halted his walking. "I don't waste my time with pathetic idiots like you, let alone apologize to one." The figure said before resuming his walking, speaking harshly, "Don't waste my time and beat it."

"Why you little–!" The Skakdi raised his axe and swung at him. "I'll teach you to learn some respect!" The axe was soon cut in half by a red and silver sword drawn by the cloaked man. The Skakdi was then pierced through the stomach. He fell to the ground on his knees, clutching his stomach. He gazed up at the hooded figure and saw him prepare another strike. The Skakdi's head was soon cleaved off in one slice, rolling off the green being's body and stopping towards his partners. The other two looked at their comrade's head in shock before they drew their own weapons and charged, revenge on their fallen friend the only thing on their minds. The cloaked being raised his arm to reveal a mounted flame cannon on his arm. The hooded figure fired a blast of shadow fire that incinerated the hunters into nothing but a pile of ashes.

With that out of the way and with no more obstacles in his path, he continued his walk before stopping at a large door imprinted with an image of a Kanohi Kraahkan, the symbol of master. He pushed the door open and was revolted at what he found, like every other time he came into the room. He only went in here for special occasions and even then it took a lot of convincing for him to step foot at Teridax's royal throne. He saw several Matoran of different villages, mostly Po-Matoran, sculpting statues and other stone structures that suited the evil overlord. Rahkshi stood by them, watching the Matoran with their staffs ready in case one of the Matoran became foolish and bolted for the door. A large throne made of stone sat at the back of room, several sharp spikes jetting out from the sides. A large being with a black body and red armor sat upon the throne. The being was none other than Emperor Teridax.

As soon as he saw his most loyal general enter, he stood from his throne and his face held took on a sickly amused feature.

"Ah, general. I suppose you have brought good news to tell me?" Teridax spoke. The hooded figure nodded. "And was it really necessary to incinerate three of my officers?"

The figure spoke. "Yes, my lord. The project is going on schedule and it should be operational by four months, perhaps three months and a half if work is sufficient. And yes, it was necessary. Those idiots were just a waste of skin that needed to learn their place." He said. "Anyway, we might have a slight problem with the plans."

Teridax raised an eyebrow. "What problem?" he inquired, leaning forward with interest.

"Several of our intelligence bases have been attacked and nearly all of those stationed there were killed or captured."

Teridax leaned back into his throne, deep in though before replying, "Do you have any idea who or what is responsible for this? Anything at all?"

"No, sir. By the time we got there, the place was in ruins and the courtyard filled to the brim with dead corpses of those fallen in combat."

"Were any of our attackers' corpses found?"

"None my lord, which leads me to suggest that whoever's been destroying your Intel bases knew where to strike and most likely had inside men within the facility."

Teridax growled in frustration. "This is unacceptable! I want those responsible for this outrage to be found and terminated on site. Not captured, killed instantly on sight. Understand?" The hooded figure nodded. Within the blink of an eye, the hooded figure soon found Teridax's hand grasped around his neck, lifting him off the ground with ease. The hooded figure founded it hard to breathe but knew he wouldn't be able to break his master's grasp. "I am counting on you to find whoever is responsible for this as well as bringing their head to me on a platter. Or else, it will be your head that will be served. Am I understood," Teridax then dropped his general. "…Vakama."

The general massaged his throat before standing up, his hood falling in the process, to reveal his Mask of Concealment, a once red and orange-outlined crafted mask, now become a red and black-outlined mask. The owner of the mask was indeed the former Toa of Fire of Metru Nui, Vakama. The Toa of Fire had become Teridax's slave sometime after being captured. What he found peculiar was that when he awoke, he found himself in his former Toa form than his Turaga form. Years later, Vakama joined Teridax and rose through the ranks before stopping as Teridax's Fleet Admiral, the highest naval position there was. He, alone, commanded the emperor's entire naval forces and held enough power to even command the army and air forces.

Vakama snarled at the Makuta and was tempted to barbeque the shadow being if his Rahkshi guards weren't standing by. That, and he knew that Teridax was indeed more powerful than ever, making impossible to take down alone, despite he himself having increased in power.

"Completely, my lord." Vakama said through gritted teeth, hate seething through each word. Teridax snorted at the Toa before turning his attention to the ceiling.

The ceiling, as dark and dissolute as the rest of the island, opened up like a hatch and revealed a single red comet flying in the sky. Teridax looked at the red object with interest. "The power of the Red Star had restored your Toa powers." Teridax turned back to Vakama. "Just think of it," he spoke, mostly to himself, "If I could do all this in my current form, imagine what would happen if I had the power of the Red Star coursing through me, its possible infinite power would probably give me strength perhaps near equal to that of Mata Nui's body."

"That wouldn't be good at all." Vakama muttered before being thrown back towards out of the room and back into the Teridax's throne room by the Makuta's magnetism power. Teridax walked up to him used his power of gravity to lift him up and throw him towards the door. Vakama weakly got up while his master sat on his throne again.

"Do not underestimate me Vakama. Our past has long been forgotten and things and different now. This time, you are under _my_ power, without any form of leverage you can use against me. You will obey my orders to the letter and will withhold from any form of resistance. Am I understood?"

Vakama nodded before he was thrown back onto the ground. The ex-Toa grunted as he lifted himself up and faced his master.

"I assume that you won't fail, knowing the consequences that should follow. Now go back to the Southern Continent and continue surveying the project." He spoke and proceeded to return to his survey his reign of tyranny.

Vakama bowed before exiting the door and walked down the hallways. _Your reign of tyranny won't last forever Teridax, _Vakama thought darkly, _I'll make sure of it._ He walked out of the hallways and made for the docks. He soon approached his ship, climbed aboard and ordered his men to set sail and return back to Southern Continent.

Back in the throne room, Teridax had already turned his attention to the thoughts of a fellow Makuta brother telling him news of his recent discovery. _Very well. I will send a cruiser to Zeirlia and see to it that they capture those younglings._

He pressed a button on the arm of his throne, making it turn around in a 180 rotation to the wall behind him. A door was hidden behind then opened and revealed chamber. Inside held the Great Spirit, Mata Nui within a dark energy field on his knees with his arms spread apart by dark energy chains. His face was emotionless as his head faced the ground. The chamber that held him was built around a special room constructed to hold Mata Nui's consciousness since he had ejected the universe within him onto the Endless Ocean planet and sent his body into the outer limits of space, fearing that someone else might try to take control of his people through the same approach.

"You thought you could prevent this from happening, but now my rule is absolute, though I wish you hadn't made the foolish decision of sending your body out into the stars."

Mata Nui's form shifted as he lifted his head and glared at the Makuta he had created. "You are merely upset that I had sent away any possibility of you fully taking control of my world. You always were spoiled even when I first created you. And as for your empire, I can already sense that the end of your reign is coming soon, and you, brother, will suffer the ultimate price."

"Don't bet on it." Teridax snarled. "I have already sent some of my troops to Zeirlia to find and crush whatever forces lie there."

"One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it." The Great Spirit replied. Mata Nui's face was now stern. "The time of liberation is coming Teridax, and I only hope I'm there to see your downfall at the hands of the Toa."

Teridax widened his eyes. _Toa? It couldn't be. No, that isn't possible._ "How is that possible when all the Toa are either dead or captured and suspended in the tubes here in my fortress?"

"You overlooked the destruction of all of them," Mata Nui answered. "Seven Toa escaped from the siege of the Toa Fortress inside pods, six of them are the children from your greatest enemies as well as the Toa Ignika. I'm quite surprised really. I always figured you would know about this. You have grown dull over the years and now your arrogance is about to pay the price."

Teridax's thoughts began racing. _No, that cannot be! I was sure that I destroyed those pods when they were drifting out at sea. And if the Mask of Life, the Toa that went missing, is with them, then he will see to it that they are trained in their Toa ways. I cannot– and will not–allow this to happen!_ "That won't be happening anytime soon. As I said before, my forces are already on route to Zeirlia to crush them. They won't survive."

"And as I said before, the end of your reign will come, not matter what you try to do to stop it." Mata Nui said back.

Teridax merely snarled at him before turning his throne around and closing the wall. Mata Nui was left alone in the dark, his thoughts drifting back to the message he gave to the daughter of two of his greatest allies. _I hope you and the others get here soon. Who knows what Teridax will do now that he has become more paranoid from this revelation?_ The Great Spirit looked up towards the ceiling and smiled, a first in the long time he had been imprisoned. _Who am I kidding? Of course they'll get here. They are Toa, and Toa never give up the fight for justice._ He looked down to the ground again and his thoughts starting seeding with doubt. _Then again, if they fail, all those who hoped for a brighter future will soon see nothing but darkness… forever. _Mata Nui then shook his head violently to clear his thoughts. _No! I mustn't think like that. They will succeed._ Doubt re-entered. _I hope._

* * *

A Vortixx ran through the halls in search of the emergency alarm. He looked behind him and saw the blue Steltian running through the halls after him. The Vortixx had walked by and heard of the Steltian's plan to take out this base. He tried to sneak away but end up tripping on the brooms and mops that were behind him. It alerted the Stelt and soon began their chase across the halls. Vortixx panted as he turned sharply on a corner and nearly tripped before he resumed his running. The Steltian skidded at the turn before running even faster to stop the Xian and prevent his cover from being blown.

The Vortixx eventually found a door right on the next corner he took. He opened it and went in inside. He closed the door quickly and then pressed his back against it. He then covered his mouth and his nose, making only one nose open and breathing quietly. He then heard the Steltian footsteps run by and thankfully past the door. He then breathed a sigh of relief to know that the danger is past. He looked in front of him and saw the emergency alarm. He smiled in victory and made his way to activate it before he then felt a great pain in his back. He then collapsed onto the ground, dead. Behind him a member of Trinuma's species known as the Tornaqs, held the dagger he used to kill the Vortixx. The sound of the door opening alerted him and caused him to spin around to kill whoever came in. He relaxed when he soon saw his partner, the blue Steltian that had been chasing the Vortixx. The smiled at one another before the Steltian caught sight of the dead Vortixx he had been chasing not moments ago.

"You killed him?" He questioned rhetorically, already seeing the blood on his partner's dagger.

The Tornaq nodded. "He was about to activate the alarm, but I was able to kill him before he did so."

The Steltian let out a sigh of relief. "That was a close call. He found about our plan. Thought for sure we'd be done for." A beeping sound from the Steltian's arm soon caught their attention. The blue being raised his left arm and activated his wristband communicator. "This is Kertal."

A voice was soon heard from the communicator, "I heard there was a little trouble back there. Is everything all right?"

"Yes sir. A Vortixx in the facility found out about our plans and tried to raise the alarm system. My partner Thelvum was able to kill him before then."

"That a relief. If the alarm was raised our operation here would have been for nothing." The voice then asked, "Did you find anything?"

Thelvum was the one to speak next, "Sir, we found out that they are planning to launch a program called _Star Depletion_. They intend to use a machine and drain the Red Star's power."

"That doesn't sound good." The voice then huffed, "Typical of Makuta, trying whatever they can to obtain even more power than they already have. Did you find anything else?"

"No sir, but we believe there's more data to obtain."

Kertal took over. "Unfortunately, it's classified as top secret and hidden in a special document on the computers. Only the commander of this base knows the password to unlock it. Unless he spills, we won't get anything else."

"Then I say it's high time we initiate Operation Devastation. Is everyone in position?"

"Yes sir," Thelvum said, "We are ready to take this place down to hell."

"Then tell everyone to start the operation. I want you two to kill as many soldiers as you can in the base, but only when the attack has commenced. The less forces we have to face, the better. Now go."

"Yes sir!" The two said simultaneously. Kertal then started pressing buttons on his wristband. "I'll send a private message to everyone else, let them to start now." He looked up at his partner. "Let's go." Before doing so, Kertal pulled out the alarm panel and pulled out the wiring before he pulled a blade and sent an electromagnetic blast from his blade through the wiring, effectively deactivating the alarm and security system. They then left the room and walked through the halls, figuring out where the best place would to take as many soldiers at once.

In the Command Center where all the computers that ran the facility's function were, a silent 'beep' was heard from one the analysts, a light orange member of Pridak's species known as Shaktels, was working on the computers. He looked down at his wrist and looked at the message written on the communicator wristband.

Begin the operation. Alarm and security system has been deactivated.

The Shaktel looked over to some of the other technicians working on the computers. The ones that also received the message looked up and nodded at one another. This confused the some of the other technicians that noticed, but they merely shrugged it off. The Shaktel typed in a few codes and two markers appeared on the monitor. He stood up and turned towards the commander and was about to shout a warning until he saw the commander, a fat and red Skakdi sleeping on his chair, mumbling something about Herdoka fishes. The Shaktel had his mouth gaping and his eyes skewed in disbelief at the commanders before sighing.

"Captain," he called out the Skakdi softly, trying to rouse him from his sleep. The Skakdi merely snorted in his sleep and leaned deeper in his chair. "Captain." Again, he didn't awaken. "_Captain!_" He had to duck just then as a laser came zooming by towards his head. The angered Skakdi eyes glowed brightly for a second before dimming and him regaining his sight.

"What did I say when I told _all_ of you not to disturb me when _I'm_ _SLEEPING_!?" The fat being shouted loudly, causing everyone in the room to cringe at the outburst. Lazy and very stupid he may be, but he did have a powerful voice and always got rid any annoyances, usually by turning them into ashes or cutting them down with his axe, the same one he holds by his side.

The Shaktel gulped nervously before gathering his senses. "Forgive me, sir. but I just wanted to let you know that I've just detected two markings on the screen." His face grew dark, "The base has been infiltrated."

The red Skakdi widened his eyes and stoop up from his chair. "What?! That's impossible! The alarms should've sounded off." He then gave a skeptical look. "Why didn't the alarms sound off? Check the systems, make sure everything is running." The other analysts nodded as they typed furiously on the keyboards, checking through every file on the security.

One eventually found the problem. "Sir, the alarm system seems to have cut off."

The Skakdi sighed frustrated, rubbing his temples with his hand. "For Great Being's sake, how could this be happening?" He turned to Shaktel still standing in front of him. "What are you still doing standing? Get back to work!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that." The Shaktel simply answered.

The Skakdi snarled at his disobedience. "And why not?"

The Shaktel smirked. He gestured to his comrades, who stood up alongside him. The overweight Skakdi looked at all of them wearily, confused, as did some of the other personnel. The Shaktel then lifted a blaster and pointed at the Skakdi. "Because, _sir_, once the alarm system has been taken offline, I am supposed to do _this._" He then fired his blaster the Skakdi. The shot got him and he slumped down at his chair. Fortunately for him, the blaster was set to stun and he was therefore only paralyzed. He turned towards his comrades, "Now!" They drew their weapons and fired at the other analysts, killing them all. The Shaktel lifted his wristband and activated the communication line. "Sir, Command Center is ours, you are clear to commence."

"Then let's give them hell." The voice said before signing off. Soon the sounds of loud explosions and impacts and repetitive cannon fire told them that the attack has started. The Shaktel turned towards the others, saying, "Get back on the computers and find out what else Teridax is planning." They all nodded. They sat down at their computers and began searching the mainframe for any information they could find.

Out in the halls soldiers began running through corridors to make it outside and lay down suppressive fire. They were armed with swords, spears, and shields and wore dense protodermis armor. They were about to reach the main exit doors when they stopped by the appearance of a blue Steltian and Tornaq. They stood confused by them before the two partners raised their cordak blasters and began firing multiple shots at the soldiers. The hallway was soon filled with the sounds of blaster fire and the shouts of pain from the fallen soldiers.

Outside in the courtyard was a similar scene in the hallways, only multiplied by ten. There were impact craters from the energy bolts fired from the unknown enemy and scores of dead bodies lying around. Only a few who made it outside and through the courtyard would end up going under from the continuous blasts, powerless to do anything. The soldiers that were stationed at the mounted cannons tried in vain to return fire as they could not see whoever was attacking, using only the brief glimpses of light that were seen from the enemy's cannon fire, but the flashes would usually be in different places each time.

Then, the blasts from the unknown assailants struck where many of the soldiers took cover and obliterated them. Several more shots shot out and took down the remainder before the assailant sunk back down into the pitch-black water, traveling further inland towards the gates. The technicians in the command center had opened the gate that led to the harbor of the small island outpost. The assailant emerged from the water and revealed itself to be a modified Toa Terrain Crawler. Unlike the one used by the Toa Mahri centuries ago, this one was built with rocket launchers and several cordak blaster turrets. The sides of the creature opened up and out came several soldiers from inside, each of them carrying a different variety of weapons. They soon made short work of any of the outpost troops that were around. One being in particular had taken most of them by firing several Midak Skyblaster shots and firing blasts of energy with his tri-bladed lance. He then walked across the courtyard and made it inside the facility.

He pushed the doors open and a body fell forward to the ground, a scorch mark from a cordak blaster on his back. He looked at the corpse with disdain before shaking his head and entered the halls where several more bodies were seen. _Those two must have really given these fools everything they had,_ The seven-foot being thought as he continued his trek towards the Command Center. He eventually walked into his general, a distant relative of the deceased Tobduk, who was busy cleaning the remaining blood off his sword. The moment he saw the commander, he saluted and walked beside him while making their way to the Command Center, telling him of their status.

"We have already taken out most of their soldiers thanks to the Tornaq and Steltian. Those two know really know how to bring hell. The Command Center is ours but you already know that. The armory and the storage facility are ours." The Tobduk look-alike reported. "So this base is pretty much ours now."

"Something tells me we won't be able to keep it that long," The commander said. "I have a feeling that Teridax already knows we're here and is already sending more troops to this place as we speak. Is the captain still alive?"

"Yes sir, and he will be ready to talk," The other being fingered his broadsword. "Or else."

"Save your energy for when we really have to fight someone, like Teridax's officers."

They soon approached the door to the Command Center. They pushed the doors and entered inside. The two saw the technicians that took over were hard at work uncovering anything that was on the mainframe. They had already pulled out several files on certain projects, plans, blueprints of some weaponry, and locations of several of Teridax's bases that were unknown to them. The commander turned his attention away from them and focused on the Skakdi, who was free from his paralysis, but still too weak to do anything. The two high rankers approached the being, sneering in disgust at the sight of his fat body.

"Pathetic Makuta lackey." The general insulted with distaste.

"I don't suppose you have any idea on what Teridax is planning, do you?" Though it was phrased as question, the Skakdi captain knew what he meant: tell me what I want to know or die.

"I won't talk." The fat being rasped. "The emperor will destroy you. His Shadows will consume you." The Skakdi smirked, impressed by his resistant remark to the commander.

This, however, did not impress the commander. In fact, it seemed to make him bored and annoyed. "If I had a widget for every time I heard that." He raised his right arm and fired his Midak Skyblaster, killing the Skakdi and cutting off any chance for the fat being to say any pathetic excuse to save himself.

The Skaktel technician that paralyzed Skakdi approached his commanding officers. "Sirs, we…" he trailed off as he saw the dead Skakdi with a hole the size of a basketball on his chest. "I take it he didn't comply?"

"More or less." The commander said. "You have something to report?"

The Shaktel raised a hand to his mouth and cleared his throat. "As you already know from Kertal and Thelvum, we have learned that Teridax is planning to gain power by absorbing the energy from the Red Star."

The Commander and the general looked at each other for a few moments before turning back to the Shaktel. "But that would be impossible," The general stated, "How can Teridax possibly drain energy from a star?"

"Knowing Teridax the way I do, I'm sure he's learned how to do many things now." The commander commented. "Find whatever you can on those computers in the next ten minutes. I don't want us over staying our welcome here and meet the late arrivals."

"Yes sir," the Shaktel saluted. "Toa Takanuva." He quickly went on one of the computers nearest him and began searching through the files of whatever was left on the files that wasn't found already.

Takanuva sighed as he and his general made their way outside of the room and into the halls to check on the other members of their forces. "Been a long time since anyone has called me Toa. Not that I deserve the title anymore."

"With all due respect sir, I'd say you deserve that title even more for what you're doing against Teridax. Not many beings can resist and survive against a Makuta as long as you have."

Takanuva nodded at that. "True to my resistance to Teridax, but not true about me still being called a Toa. I have lost that title a long time ago since Teridax took over." He balled his fists tightly and gritted his teeth. "And I don't really care if I am ever called a hero again, just as long as that oozing piece of slime in metal is dead, once and for all." The general took some steps away to give his leader some space. He didn't plan on being on the receiving end of his commander's wrath.

A medic soon came running into them. "Sirs, I just came to report that we have received very minimal casualties on our side. Only two severely wounded."

Takanuva nodded. "It's good to hear we didn't lose too much. Who are the wounded by any chance?" The medic beckoned him to follow him. They walked down the halls until they came upon a room that served as the medical center of the base. On the floor rested the two beings, the same ones Takanuva talked to before initiating the assault on the base: Kertal and Thelvum. Both of them had their armor cracked and dented and in some areas, completely destroyed. They had several bandages on them drenched heavily in blood. From the amount he saw, Takanuva knew that they wouldn't survive.

Takanuva walked in between them and knelt before he placed his hands on their shoulders. The two beings looked up to him at the contact of his hands. They both smiled wearily. "Sir, we took out as many we could." Kertal said before coughing, mostly spit though with clear evidence of blood.

Takanuva gave him an approved nod. "I know. I saw that once I stepped into the entrance room and saw the some of the bodies."

Thelvum spoke next. "I guess this is it for us. We've reached our limit."

Kertal nodded in agreement, wincing as he did. "I guess we won't get to see our homes or our people set free."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure that your people will be set free and know of your sacrifice." Takanuva said calmly. If he had been the Toa he was before, he would've yelled the two beings for thinking such thoughts and tell them to save their strengths. But after all the things he'd been through over the years had hardened him and made him learn to accept the inevitable. The two beings before him would die even if he told them to keep on trying.

"Thank you, sir." The two partners said before they closed their eyes and took their final breaths.

Takanuva bowed his head in respect before he stood up and looked up at the ceiling._ Great Beings above, why must we suffer this fate?_ Takanuva thought with clenched fists. _Isn't it enough that you took away my family and friends? Now you force me to watch this hell, force me to see soldiers and innocence lose their lives over a megalomaniac. When will this end?!_

"Commander," the general spoke. "It's time to go." He walked over and placed his hand on Takanuva's shoulder. "We'll make sure they get a proper burial back at base."

Takanuva breathed deeply as he stared at the dead bodies of two great warriors, both faithful to their cause, and hopeful of great future. A future that now seems ungraspable in this unforgivable world that was once called home. Takanuva closed his eyes and exhaled before opening them and turned around towards the exit.

"Let's move."

**

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So, what do you guys think? Good? Bad? Awesome? Stupid? Let me know in your reviews.

**I felt that this thing was just full of problems and certain things just didn't make sense to me, so it took me a lot longer to fix it, that and school being a constant pain wasn't helping either. I think the part with the dream was a little repetitive with the whole destiny and saving the people. Not every story is great though, right?**


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